


This Life or the Next

by ibonekoen



Category: Robin Hood (BBC 2006)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-25
Updated: 2014-02-25
Packaged: 2018-01-13 17:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1234234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ibonekoen/pseuds/ibonekoen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><a href="http://guardshapedproblems.tumblr.com/post/77759376993/guy-robin-reincarnation-au-robin-and-guy-meet-fall">Anonymous</a> requested: Guy/Robin, reincarnation AU - Robin and Guy meet, fall in love and establish a steady relationship without remembering who they once were. However, after they become engaged they begin to suffer from nightmares of another life, in a far darker time, finally remember everything on their wedding night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Life or the Next

They’re introduced by a friend of a friend at a birthday party.

“Oh, Robin, didn’t you used to go to school with Marian?” Meg asks as she takes Robin by the arm and practically drags him across the room to where a tall, dark-haired man stands almost brooding in a corner with a cup of melting amaretto slush clutched in his hand. 

Meg doesn’t seem to notice the scowled set of his brow as she continues with “Guy here used to date her until he realized…” She trails off and gives Robin a conspiratorial wink. “Guy, this is Robin. Robin, Guy. Make nice!”

Before Robin has the chance to protest or really say anything at all, he’s shoved toward Guy, and Meg has disappeared into the crowd. Robin blinks owlishly at the man, who’s gawking at him, and he manages a weak smile.

“Um, so, you’re Guy then.” He slides his hand into his pocket, the fingers of his other hand curling tighter around the neck of his beer bottle.

Guy nods, the scowl on his face easing slightly. “And you’re Robin. Hello.” He coughs. “So, you went to school with Marian?”

Robin chuckles and takes a sip of his beer as he tries to ignore the way Guy’s eyes crinkle when he smiles. “Yeah. Our dads were friends, so we spent a lot of time together outside of class as well.” He hesitates as Meg’s words flit through his mind. “So you and Marian—”

“Used to date?” Guy chuffs out a soft laugh. “Yeah, but it was an amicable breakup. We’re obviously still friends.” He grins and waves at Marian, who’s giggling with Meg as they watch Guy and Robin.

Robin lifts his eyebrows, an amused look playing across his face as Marian realizes she’s been caught, and she quickly waves back to Guy.

He glances back at Guy. “Mind if I ask what happened? She’s a very nice girl.”

Guy nods and sips his punch. “Oh, yes, very nice. Any bloke would be lucky to have her. I would just rather find a nice bloke myself.” He grins as his eyes meet Robin’s.

Robin’s grin brightens; no wonder Meg was so eager to introduce them. “Yeah, me too.” He licks his lips and glances around; the party is mostly boring. Nobody would miss them. “Would you like to get out of here?”

Guy matches Robin’s grin and nods.

\----

They end up walking through the park, stopping for coffees along the way. Robin learns that Guy is a police sergeant, and he shares that he’s an ex-soldier and current archery instructor. They talk about music and movies, their favorite books, and it’s well after midnight before they part ways after exchanging mobile numbers.

It’s a quarter after nine the next morning when Robin gets a text from Guy.

      _\--I had fun last night. Was wondering if you wanted to do it again tonight?--_

_\--maybe at a nice restaurant?--_

_\--not too fancy. unless you like fancy.-- ___

__Robin laughs quietly and sends back a reply that a nice restaurant is fine, where and when should they meet?_ _

___\--seven? Kettner’s in Soho?--__ _

__Robin sends back a text saying that’s perfect and eagerly counts down the minutes until he meets Guy._ _

__The first date goes well, as does the second, and by the third, Robin is inviting Guy back to his place for a cuppa after the movie._ _

__Guy accepts and the tea ends up growing cold on the table as they make out on the couch._ _

__Robin’s on his back, sprawled out on the couch, the delicious weight of Guy’s body pressing him down into the cushions. He works his hands up under Guy’s shirt, gasping as Guy nips his neck, and he groans “Do you wanna stay over tonight?”_ _

__Guy nuzzles Robin’s neck and draws back to smirk at him. “Yeah, I’d love to.”_ _

__They leave a trail of clothes to the bedroom and fall into bed, their lips and hands and bodies coming together in a symphony of passion and desire that leaves him sate and breathless, falling blissfully asleep in each other’s arms._ _

__Robin’s last conscious thought is that he never did thank Meg for introducing them._ _

____

\----

Three months of dating turns into four and by Christmas, they’ve been together nearly eight months. Robin gives Guy a key to his flat as a present and Guy reciprocates on Valentine’s Day.

They spend a year trading nights and who sleeps in whose flat, and finally, on the eve of their second anniversary, Guy suggest they move in together. They end up agreeing on a little two bedroom flat in Chelsea, and within a month, they’re settled into their new place and enjoying life.

Two years pass swiftly but eventfully, filled to the brim with happiness, and Guy agonizes internally for months before finally proposing on the evening of the anniversary of their first date.

Robin accepts without hesitation. He has his first dream of a disturbing and unsettling past that night.

He wakes with a start, drenched in a cold sweat and with a phantom ache from clutching the hilt of a sword too tightly lingering in the curves of his fingers. Residual vibrations from the force of another sword clanging against his blade resonate through his arms, and the metallic clash of the blades meeting still rings through his ears.

His stomach churns and twists as he recalls the face of his assailant — Guy.

It’s impossible; barring the fact that they’re engaged and very much in love, there’s no way they’d be clashing swords as anything but a euphemism. For one thing, they’re very much in the 21st century and swords are a relic of the past, something to be collected and awed over these days, not used with such brunt force and murderous intent. The dream felt so realistic though, enough that Robin can still taste the coppery tang of blood on his tongue from a split lip, caused by Guy’s head bashing into his.

He tries to shove the dream into the deep recesses of his mind as Guy rolls over and asks if he’s all right in that sleep-roughened voice that makes Robin’s stomach flip for entirely different reasons. He silences Guy’s concerns with a kiss involving heavy participation of their tongues and falls back to sleep in the warm, secure circle of Guy’s embrace.

\----

Robin manages to forget the dream until he has it again, three nights later. This time, he’s roused by a shout from Guy, and when the bedside lamp clicks on, he grimaces at the sudden light flooding the once blissfully dark room.

“Oi, Robin, what the fuck?” Guy growls.

Robin’s astonished when he realizes Guy is sitting up in bed with his hand covering his right eye.

“What the fuck was that for?” Guy sounds hurt, wounded, and Robin doesn’t mean just from his eye.

He’s confused though; he honestly has no idea what Guy means. “Whatcha mean? I didn’t do anything.” He sits up and grasps Guy’s wrist, trying to draw his hand away from his eye.

Guy resists at first but finally just sighs and lets his hand drop to his lap. The skin surrounding his eye is already starting to purple, and he shakes his head. “I was sleeping — quite peacefully — and you just socked me right in the bloody eye! What’d I do to piss you off then?”

Robin’s eyes widen. “What? I didn’t! I mean, you didn’t— Nothing! You did nothing, but I didn’t—” He swallows and drags his tongue over his lips. “I mean, I dreamed I did, but it wasn’t—” He lifts his hands and flails a bit, just a tiny bit, because he’s aware that he isn’t making sense but he doesn’t know how to explain the calamity of confusion in his head. 

Guy reaches out to grasp Robin’s wrists and still his hands. “Calm down, Robin. Start at the beginning. What do you mean you dreamed you did? Robin, why would you dream about hitting me?”

Robin shakes his head as distress squeezes his chest and furrows his brow. “I wouldn’t! Not on purpose! It wasn’t—” He huffs out a breath. “It wasn’t us. It couldn’t have been. We were— We were enemies.”

Guy rubs his fingers over his mouth, seeming to let that settle in for a moment. “You and me, we were enemies?” He shakes his head. “That’s ridiculous, Robin. Why would we be enemies?”

“I have no idea, Guy, but we were fighting!” Robin throws off the covers and rises to his feet as he rakes his fingers through his hair. “We were fighting with— With swords, and we were dressed in medieval garb, and I—”

Guy holds up his hands, frowning. “Okay, okay, just calm down. Come here.” He holds his arms open and waggles his fingers.

It takes a few tries to coax the skittish Robin forward, but he finally gets close enough for Guy to latch onto him and tug him down into bed. He folds his arms around Robin, pressing his hands against Robin’s chest. He nuzzles his nose into the hollow behind Robin’s ear and waits until his heartbeat has slowed back down and he’s relaxed into his arms.

Robin’s just about drifted off to sleep when Guy whispers, “Maybe the dreams are stress-related.”

Robin sighs and opens his eyes. “Yeah, maybe.” He doubts it but he’s looking for any explanation that’s more rational than what’s been going through his mind.

\----

Guy manages to coax Robin into attending yoga classes, and it seems to help. The dreams stop, and Guy is just a touch satisfied bordering on smug. Robin ignores it and throws himself into planning the wedding of the century.

They bat several ideas around before agreeing on a late summer wedding with an outdoor picnic theme, and once that detail is sorted out, everything else seems to fall perfectly into place.

Before they know it, the big day has arrived, and it seems to pass in a blur. Robin vaguely remembers reciting vows and Guy being told he may kiss his husband, and the reception is a fond, inebriated memory. They consummate the marriage spectacularly and fall blissfully asleep in each other’s arms on a train headed to Scotland.

It’s Guy who wakes up with a shout, and Robin rolls over, concern etched across his face.

“What is it, love?” he mumbles as he reaches out to rub Guy’s back.

Guy recoils and flings himself out of bed, nearly dragging the covers with him. “I was the Sheriff’s deputy and you were an outlaw. That’s why we were fighting.”

Robin goes still, ice coiling around his spine. “What?”

Guy gestures wildly as he paces. “Your dreams! The sword fighting, you hitting me, it was because I was trying to apprehend you for stealing!”

Robin frowns and sits up, pushing the covers aside. He rises to his feet and takes a step closer to Guy. “Hey, it was just a dream.”

Guy shies away from Robin, shaking his head. “I thought so too when you were telling me, but it felt so real.” He’s quiet for several long moments. “I don’t think they’re just dreams.”

Robin’s skin goes cold, and he wants to argue because on the surface, it just seems so crazy. But deep in his gut, he knows that Guy is right. “They’re memories.” He crosses his arms, hands gripping his upper arms as he bites his bottom lip. “Aren’t they?”

Guy rubs his hand over the nape of his neck and turns to face Robin. His brow furrows, giving his face a grim expression. “I think so. It sounds ridiculous but I really do think they’re memories from another life.”

Robin swallows and rubs his hand over his arm, just studying Guy. Neither of them say anything for several nerve-wracking minutes and then Robin finally exhales loudly and uncrosses his arms.

“So what?”

Guy startles and blinks in confusion. “What?”

Robin rakes his fingers through his hair and shrugs. “So what if we were enemies and fought against each other in a past life? That’s in the past. We’re totally different people now.” He crosses his arms over his chest again. “All right, so maybe some elements are still the same—you’re a law man—but I’m not a criminal. I still love you and, I’m assuming, you still love me.”

“I do,” Guy responds quickly. “I love you very much, Robin.”

Robin’s heart flutters just the same way that it always does when Guy says those words, and he grins. “Then what’s the problem?” He reaches out to grasp the back of Guy’s neck, squeezing lightly. “The past doesn’t matter. I love you, no matter what, Guy. Forever and always.”

They kiss tenderly and Robin sighs happily as they settle back down in bed, Guy’s arms around him. “Maybe it’s a second chance,” he whispers after a few minutes of comfortable silence. “Maybe that’s why we were reincarnated and fell in love. Maybe we always wanted to be together but couldn’t because we were on opposite sides. maybe this is Fate’s way of making things right.”

Guy’s silent for a few moments, but then Robin can feel his husband’s mouth curve into a smile against the back of his neck. “Maybe.” He pauses. “I like the sound of that, actually. It’s very romantic.”

Robin grins and snuggles deeper into Guy’s embrace. “Me too.” He sighs and closes his eyes, letting himself drift off to sleep.

\----

He’s standing under a cherry blossom tree, his hands clasped in Guy’s and a warm summer breeze ruffling their hair. Guy squeezes Robin’s hands and there’s a faint glimmer of what might be tears in his eyes. “Robin, this is madness. You can’t be an outlaw. How am I supposed to hunt you and bring you in to be hanged? I love—” His voice breaks as the emotion becomes too much to hold back.

Robin lifts Guy’s hands and kisses the backs of his fingers as he offers him an encouraging smile. “You won’t. You’ll make it appear as if you’re making a good effort but I’ll always outsmart you.” He releases one of Guy’s hands and moves his up to grip the back of Guy’s neck. He draws him down until their foreheads touch and they’re breathing each other’s air. “We will be together, Guy. With God as my witness, I am making you this promise, right here, under our favorite tree—if we can’t have our happy ending in this life or the next, we’ll keep trying. We’ll keep coming back. I’ll keep finding you until we can make it work and stay together. I swear it.”

Guy smiles, huffing out a shaky breath. “Seal it with a kiss so I know you mean it, Robin.”

Robin laughs and nods, leaning in to press his lips against Guy’s as he whispers, “Gladly.”

~The End~


End file.
